1st November 2012 – Foreign Minister Bob Carr today announced Mr Paul Myler as Australia’s next Ambassador to Russia with non-resident accreditation to: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Mr Myler is expected to take up his appointment in January 2013, replacing Ms Margaret Twomey who has been Ambassador since June 2008.
Mr Myler is a senior career officer and has previously served in Geneva and Moscow. He was most recently Assistant Secretary, Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe Branch. At the height of the Global Financial Crisis he led the International Financial Crisis Taskforce, and later the G20 and International Economy Branch within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has also served as Chief of Staff to the Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP, Minister for Resources and Energy and Minister for Tourism. He speaks Russian.
Mr Myler holds a Master of Arts from Monash University, and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia. He will be accompanied to Moscow by his wife Angela and three children.
Mr Myler assumes his position at a heightened period of engagement between Australia and Russia. This includes collaboration over the past year to deliver the APEC Summit in Vladivostok. Australia and Russia are also working to strengthen regional architecture in the Asia Pacific, including through the East Asia Summit.
Russia and Australia are working closely as chairs of the G20 in 2013 and 2014 respectively to consolidate the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
Russia’s accession to the WTO should also inject momentum into bilateral trade and investment, with current bilateral trade standing at $A1.984 billion and potential for further trade and investment in resources, agriculture and services.
